Bathtub wall liner

ABSTRACT

A liner is disclosed for cushioning and protecting a bather from harmful contact with the walls of a bathtub while bathing. The liner can be used for bathing infants, children, elderly or physically disabled individuals. The liner typically includes chambers that reversibly adhere to the walls of the bathtub. The chambers can be filled with air, water, or a soft padding material. When the chambers are not inflated or otherwise filled, the liner is able to be folded into a compact condition for ease of storage and for travel. The liner can include at least one rim chamber to allow one to lean their elbows on the rim of the bathtub while bathing the bather, a faucet chamber for covering the water faucet system of the bathtub to protect the bather from a fall towards the faucet, or an arch that rises over the bathtub that can keep a child occupied while bathing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/616,814, filed on Oct. 7, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to bathing devices and, moreparticularly, to a bathtub wall liner which is used to chamber theinterior vertical walls of a bathtub.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bathtubs have hard surfaces and become slippery when wet. The interiorsurfaces of the tubs acquire a layer of residue comprised of dirt, soapand water impurities which can become quite slippery without repeatedcleaning of the tubs.

Bathtub liners have been known for some time. Generally, such liners aredesigned to provide comfort, as well as safety. To prevent injury,liners have been used to both provide better traction and to chamber theblow from falling. In general, these liners involve protective paddingon the sides and bottom of the bathtub to prevent injuries fromaccidental falls. U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,485 to Bullock discloses a paddedmat device that can be filled with either air or some padding materialfor protecting the user from harmful contact with an end of a bathtub.U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,231 to Smith and U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,132 to Rooneyboth disclose inflatable liners for bathtubs to be used with infants,the elderly or the physically disabled which include side walls and afloor to form a chamber for the user. U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,652 to Navarrateaches an inflatable liner for a standard kitchen sink to be used inbathing an infant, which includes a bottom, sides, and ends formed fromcontiguous inflatable ribs that provide a chambering effect.

While these prior art liners may be useful for their intended purposes,there still exists a need for a portable bathtub liner for bathinginfants or small children who may stand or flop around in the bathtuband are at risk of slipping and falling, causing them to hit their headon a wall of the tub. Likewise, it would be advantageous to provide abathtub wall liner for an elderly or disabled person with a tendency toslip or slide and hit their head on the bathtub wall. It would also beadvantageous to provide a bathtub liner that is easily collapsible forstorage and transport. These and other features and advantages of thepresent invention will become more apparent with reference to theaccompanying specification and claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a portable bathtub liner that can protectthe user, such as a standing or squirming child or a sitting elderly orphysically disabled person, against injuries from falls in the bathtub.

A first aspect of the invention relates to a bathtub wall liner forcushioning the vertical interior walls of a bathtub, comprising aplurality of interconnected chambers and an attachment means adapted todetachably adhere the liner to the vertical interior walls of the tub,the chambers adapted to circumferentially line the vertical interiorwalls of the bathtub, each chamber including an interior portion and anexterior portion, each exterior portion including a front surface and aback surface, each interior portion including a right end and a leftend, the left end of one chamber sharing a connection with the right endof another chamber.

The wall liner typically includes a plurality of inflatable chamberswhich are in communication with each other, and can be firmly secured tothe walls of the bathtub via suction devices which detachably adherethereto. In one embodiment of the invention the interior portion of eachchamber is inflatable and deflatable, and the connections include airpassage ports for allowing communication of air from one interiorportion to another interior portion during inflation and deflation. Thisembodiment also includes a fill port for adding a fluid such as air orwater to, and removing air or water from, the interior portions of thechambers. In yet another embodiment, the interior portion of eachchamber can be permanently filled with a soft padding material,including but not limited to Styrofoam, cloth padding, foam or anelastomeric gel.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for cushioning thevertical interior walls of a bathtub, comprising (1) providing a bathtubwall liner including a plurality of interconnected chambers and anattachment means adapted to detachably adhere the liner to the verticalinterior walls of the tub, the chambers adapted to circumferentiallyline the vertical interior walls of the bathtub, each chamber includingan interior portion and an exterior portion, each exterior portionincluding a front surface and a back surface, each interior portionincluding a right end and a left end, the left end of one chambersharing a connection with the right end of another chamber; (2) placingthe wall liner inside the bathtub; (3) conforming the chambers of thewall liner along the vertical interior walls of the bathtub; and (4)detachably adhering the wall liner to the vertical interior walls of thebathtub.

A third aspect of the invention relates to a bathtub wall liner whichprovides a cushion for the inner vertical walls of a conventionalbathtub, comprising a first chamber, a plurality of interveningchambers, and a last chamber, the chambers adapted to circumferentiallyline the vertical interior walls of the bathtub, each chamber includingan interior portion and an exterior portion, each exterior portionincluding a front surface and a back surface, each interior portionincluding a left end and a right end, the left end of each chamberhaving a connection with the right end of another chamber, with theexception that the left end of the last chamber and the right end of thefirst chamber form an exterior end to the liner and have no connection,the liner adapted to be removably installed by detachably adhering tothe vertical interior walls of the tub.

The nature and advantages of the present invention will be more fullyappreciated after reviewing the following drawings and detaileddescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with a general description of the invention given above, andthe detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles ofthe invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bathtub liner of thepresent invention as it appears before installation into a bathtub.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a chamber of thebathtub liner of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bathtub liner of thepresent invention as it appears when installed within a conventionalbathtub.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bathtub liner of theinvention, in which there is an arch, a faucet chamber, and a rimchamber included.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a bathtubliner 10 of the present invention as it appears before installation intoa bathtub. The liner 10 is made up of a plurality of vertical cushionsor chambers, including a first chamber 12, a plurality of interveningchambers 13, and a last chamber 14. In FIG. 1 a penultimate chamber 15is also shown, which will be described in more detail below. A fill port16 allows for inflation of the liner 10 with air prior to use and fordeflation after use. Alternatively, the liner 10 can be filled withwater through the fill port 16 and then later emptied therethrough.

The construction of the fill port 16 can be that of any valve or nozzleknown in the art for inflation/deflation with air, or forfilling/emptying with water. Further, the location of the fill port 16is not limited to any particular chamber, such that it can be located onany of the chambers. The fill port is also not limited to a particularlocation on a chamber. For example, although the fill port 16 isdepicted in FIG. 1 on an upper end of an intervening chamber 13, thefill port can be placed on any outer surface or end of a chamber, solong as a user can access it for use. Typically the fill port can betucked or pushed into the chamber after the liner is filled, as is wellknown in the art, so that it does not protrude from the surface of thechamber. In alternative embodiments of the invention in which the linerchambers are permanently filled with a padding material, the fill portis not needed. Such soft padding material includes, as a non-limitingexample, Styrofoam, cloth padding, foam or an elastomeric gel.

FIG. 2 illustrates a single intervening chamber 13 of FIG. 1 in athree-dimensional outline. Each chamber 13 (also chambers 12, 14, and15, not shown) has an interior portion and an exterior portion as wellas an upper end 20, a lower end 22, a right end 24, a left end 26, afront surface 28 and a back surface 30. However, the interior portion ofeach chamber typically shares right and left ends 24, 26 with aneighboring chamber, to which it is connected. Each shared wall or end24, 26 of a chamber includes at least one passage port 32 therein.

In one embodiment, shared ends 24, 26 of the chambers are a singularinner wall between chambers, the wall including the passage ports 32.Also, the shared inner wall connects the front surface 28 and the backsurface 30 of the chambers, thus creating an outer seam between chamberswhich allows the liner to bend around corners and thus more easily fitwithin the bathtub. The purpose of the passage ports 32 is to allowpassage of air or water during inflation/deflation or filling/emptyingfrom one chamber to another. This manner of interconnecting neighboringchambers via a shared wall and at least one passage port allows allchambers of the bathtub liner to be inflated from a single point, suchas fill port 16, thus eliminating the need for multiple inflationpoints.

As non-limiting examples, typical measurements for each chamber are asfollows: when inflated the three-dimensional width of the liner isbetween about one inch to about 4 inches, and typically about 2 inches;the vertical height is between about 5 inches to about 16 inches, butcan be made taller to fit larger bathtubs; the horizontal length of eachchamber is typically between about 2 inches to about 8 inches; and theoverall length of the liner is between about 80 inches to about 180inches, and typically about 130 inches, but can be made longer to fitlarger bathtubs. Further, it is contemplated that an insert includingadditional chambers can be made available to attach to the liner of thepresent invention to elongate the liner for larger tubs, or to shortenthe liner for smaller tubs. As a non-limiting example, such an insertcould connect to the end of the first or last chamber via a hook andloop fastener such as a Velcro® strip or other attachment means.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a perspective view of one embodiment of theliner of the present invention is illustrated showing the chambers 12,13, 14 of the bathtub wall liner positioned circumferentially around theinside walls of a conventional bathtub 34. Fill port 16 can be seenprotruding from the liner near the back right corner of the bathtub 34.The first chamber 12 is shown next to a conventional faucet system 36,and last chamber 14 (in this embodiment shown to be shorter than theother chambers) is located beneath the conventional faucet system 36.The left end of each intervening chamber shares a common wall with theright end of another chamber, and the common wall includes a passageport 32 and seam 26, with the notable exception that the left end of thelast chamber 14 has no connection, and the right end of the firstchamber 12 has no connection. In the embodiment illustrated the firstchamber 12 and the last chamber 14 do not share a common wall or apassage port, as described in more detail above; however they are ableto be fitted within the bathtub in close approximation with one another.Further, these ends can each have a suction cup on their back surface toallow them to be stuck close together on the wall of the tub, oralternatively they can be connectable via a hook and loop fastener suchas a Velcro® strip or other attachment means.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the vertical height of the last chamber14 can be manufactured to be shorter than the other chambers 12, 13, 15.In use, this shortened last chamber 14 forms a “cut out” area beneath aconventional faucet system 36 to allow access thereto. Such a faucetsystem 36 may comprise a faucet, hot and cold water spigots,conventional bathtub drain actuator, shower controls, temperaturecontrols and the like. Typically the cut out area provides complete andunrestricted access to the conventional faucet system 36. In otherembodiments (not shown), both the first chamber 12 and the last chamber14 can be short, forming the cut out area, or even the first fewchambers on each end of the liner can be short, especially if thehorizontal length of each chamber is small. In yet another embodiment(not shown), for tubs in which the faucet system is located above thebathtub rim, all of the chambers can be of the same vertical height,typically the height of a conventional bathtub wall, since there is nolonger a need for a cutout area.

The liner 10 is removably installable into the bathtub 34 by detachablyadhering to the vertical interior walls of the bathtub 34, typically viasuction cups which are well-known in the art (not shown) located on theback surfaces 30 of the chambers. At least one and typically a pluralityof the chambers have suction cups that will stick to the walls of thebathtub to secure it within the tub. The suction cups are typicallymolded into the back surface 30 of the chamber and also placed in thecenter of the back surface. Typically, suction cups are positioned atregular intervals along the liner to allow uniform attachment to thebathtub wall. As a non-limiting example, in a liner having twentychambers each of which are about six inches wide, there can be suctioncups placed every third chamber. Alternatively, in a liner having alarge number of narrow chambers, for example 80 chambers each of whichare only two inches wide, the suction cups can be placed every tenchambers, however the invention is not intended to be limited to suchdimensions. If the liner includes a “cut out” area, the chamber(s)forming the cut out area typically include a suction cup.

In another embodiment of the bathtub liner, shown in FIG. 4, a faucetchamber 40 effectively covers the faucet system 36 and protects thebather from harm should they fall towards the faucet system 36. In thisembodiment, the faucet chamber 40 attaches to the last chamber 14, andalso attaches to both the first chamber 12 and a second-to-last orpenultimate chamber 15, which are located on either side of the lastchamber 14. In the embodiment illustrated, the right end of the faucetchamber 40 shares a wall including a passage port and a seam with theleft end of the penultimate chamber 15. A fastener means 41 such as ahook and loop, a Velcro® attachment, or other attachment means islocated between the bottom end of the faucet chamber 40 and the upperend of the last chamber 14, and also between the left end of the faucetchamber 40 and the right end of the first chamber 12. Alternatively, thefaucet chamber 40 can be completely attachable and removable from theliner 10 via a fastener attachment with the first, last and penultimatechambers 12, 14, and 15. As another alternative, where the faucet systemis located above the rim of the tub, such that an embodiment of theinvention uses a last chamber that is the same vertical height as theother chambers, the faucet chamber may attach only to the last chamberand then have an attachment means to attach to the faucet itself.Alternatively, in this embodiment, the faucet chamber may not be neededat all.

FIG. 4 also shows horizontal rim chambers 42 extending outwardly fromthe upper end of some of the vertical intervening chambers 13 to providea cushioned cover for the bathtub end or rim 44. The rim chambers 42allow a parent or health care worker to bathe a child or other personwhile leaning their elbows on the bathtub rim 44. The rim chamber 42 canalso detachably adhere to the rim of the bathtub 44 via a suction cup(not shown) or other means to keep the rim chamber 42 secured thereto.In the embodiment illustrated, the rim chambers 42 only extend partiallyacross the length of one side of the tub. However in other embodimentsthe rim chambers can extend the entire length of the side of the tub, orcompletely around the tub, so that more than one person can lean in andbathe the child or person in the tub.

FIG. 4 also illustrates an arch 46 extending upwardly from the upperends of two intervening chambers 13 which are situated on opposing wallsof the bathtub 34. The arch 46 can include pictures or objects attachedor permanently adhered thereto. As a non-limiting example, the arch 46can include a non-breakable mirror or mirrors for a child or adult toview themselves, characters such as animals or cartoon characters, thealphabet or a monogram of the owner or user, objects such as balls andtoys, or hooks for hanging such pictures or objects. Generally thesepictures and objects are intended to make the liner more child-friendly.The arch 46 can be inflatable with air, and it can have connections,including shared walls with a passage ports and seam, with the chambers.Obviously, if passage ports are used to connect the arch to the liner,the user would only fill the liner with air and not water since the archcould not accommodate being filled with water and still be able tomaintain its arch shape. Alternatively, the arch can be removable fromthe chambers, for example via a hook and loop fastener such as a Velcro®strip or other attachment means.

The liner of the present invention typically has no chambers or memberthat covers the bottom surface of the conventional bathtub, making theliner lighter in weight, less bulky and easier to fold and store away,as compared to prior art liners. Typically the liner and/or its chambersare manufactured from a lightweight, flexible, vinyl product withproperties that allow for ease of cleaning, puncture and tearresistance, water resistance, resistance to cleaning compounds and thelike. As a non-limiting example, the liner can be constructed ofpolyvinyl chloride or other suitable plastic material that is easilyfilled with air or water and will not leak, and is between about 0.005inches to about 0.02 inches thick. It is clearly seen by those familiarin the art that while a plastic vinyl compound will meet thesecharacteristics, other materials, readily available today, and those yetto be described, will also meet these characteristics. The constructionmaterial making up the arch 46 and the rim chambers 42 is typicallyidentical to that of the other chambers, but it does not have to be.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, each chamber canhave a unique design, shape or pattern rather than the rectangular shapeof each chamber depicted in the Figures, so long as neighboring chambersshare an inner wall at their right and left ends. As a non-limitingexample, one chamber can be in the shape of a star, another chamber canbe in the shape of a circle, another can be in the shape of a square,and so on. In another embodiment, letters, numbers, animals, sportsequipment, etc. can be in the form of additional small pieces that canattach to the surface of the chambers via an attachment means such as ahook and loop fastener such as a Velcro® strip or other fasteningdevice. Also, the chambers can include pictures or objects on the frontsides to make the liner more child-friendly. As a non-limiting example,a chamber or chambers can include a non-breakable mirror or mirrors fora child or adult to view themselves, characters such as animals orcartoon characters, the alphabet or a monogram of the owner or user,objects such as balls and toys, or hooks for hanging such pictures orobjects. Still further, the chambers can each be made of a material thatallows the front surface of the chamber to be used as a painting palettefor children, such that children can use non-toxic bath paints to drawpictures, letters, numbers, etc. on the surface of the chambers.

The bathtub wall liner of the present invention provides one or more ofthe following advantages. It can protect small children who commonlystand or flop around while in the bathtub from harmful injury shouldthey slip and fall in the tub. Also, it can protect an adult bather frominjury, such as the elderly or a physically disabled person, shouldtheir seating slip during bathing. The liner, due to its light weightand flexibility, is able to be quickly installed and removed from thetub, and is easily deflated, folded and stored, making it ideal for useat home or while traveling. The liner can be made of a light-weight,durable material that can be re-used, or it can be made of a disposablematerial more adapted to one-time use. It may also be made of a washablematerial.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description ofembodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described inconsiderable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limitthe scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantagesand modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departingfrom the scope Or spirit of the invention.

1. A bathtub wall liner for cushioning the vertical interior walls of abathtub, comprising: a plurality of interconnected chambers; and anattachment means adapted to detachably adhere the liner to the verticalinterior walls of the tub, the chambers adapted to circumferentiallyline the vertical interior walls of the bathtub, each chamber includingan interior portion and an exterior portion, each exterior portionincluding a front surface and a back surface, each interior portionincluding a right end and a left end, the left end of one chambersharing a connection with the right end of another chamber.
 2. The linerof claim 1, further comprising a fill port for adding a fluid to andremoving the fluid from the interior portion of at least one chamber,wherein the interior portion of each chamber is inflatable anddeflatable with the fluid, each of the connections between the chambersincluding at least one passage port for allowing communication of thefluid from one interior portion to another interior portion duringinflation and deflation, thereby allowing inflation of the entire linerwith the fluid via the fill port.
 3. The liner of claim 1, wherein theinterior portion of each chamber comprises a soft padding materialselected from the group consisting of Styrofoam, cloth padding, foam,and an elastomeric gel.
 4. The liner of claim 1, wherein the attachmentmeans is at least one suction cup located on the back surface of atleast one of the chambers.
 5. The liner of claim 1, wherein theplurality of interconnected chambers comprises a first chamber, aplurality of intervening chambers, and a last chamber, and wherein theleft end of the last chamber and the right end of the first chamber haveno connection.
 6. The liner of claim 5, further including an insert ofadditional interconnected chambers adapted to attach to one of the firstor the last chamber to elongate the liner.
 7. The liner of claim 1,further comprising at least one faucet chamber adapted to cover thefaucet system of the bathtub when the liner is removably installedtherein.
 8. The liner of claim 1, further comprising at least one rimchamber adapted to cover at least a portion of the rim of the bathtubwhen the liner is removably installed therein.
 9. The liner of claim 8,comprising a plurality of rim chambers adapted to cover the rim of thetub.
 10. The liner of claim 1, further comprising at least one archextending upwardly from and attached to the upper ends of two chamberswhich are situated on opposing walls of the bathtub when the liner isremovably installed therein.
 11. The liner of claim 1, wherein theexterior portions of the chambers have properties that allow for ease ofcleaning, puncture and tear resistance, and resistance to mold andmicrobes.
 12. The liner of claim 1, further comprising additional smallpieces that can be placed on each chamber by the user, the additionalsmall pieces configured to attach to the front sides of the chambers viaan attachment means.
 13. The liner of claim 1, wherein at least one ofthe chambers includes on the front side thereof an item selected fromthe group consisting of a non-breakable mirror, a picture of an animal,a picture of a cartoon character, a picture of a ball, a picture of atoy, a letter of the alphabet, the alphabet, a monogram, and hooks forhanging balls, toys and pictures.
 14. The liner of claim 1, wherein thefront surface of at least one chamber is made of a material that allowsthe surface to be used as a painting palette for non-toxic bath paints.15. A method for cushioning the vertical interior walls of a bathtub,comprising: (1) providing a bathtub wall liner including a plurality ofinterconnected chambers and an attachment means adapted to detachablyadhere the liner to the vertical interior walls of the tub, the chambersadapted to circumferentially line the vertical interior walls of thebathtub, each chamber including an interior portion and an exteriorportion, each exterior portion including a front surface and a backsurface, each interior portion including a right end and a left end, theleft end of one chamber sharing a connection with the right end ofanother chamber; (2) placing the wall liner inside the bathtub; (3)conforming the chambers of the wall liner along the vertical interiorwalls of the bathtub; and (4) detachably adhering the wall liner to thevertical interior walls of the bathtub.
 16. The method of claim 15,wherein the attachment means of the liner is at least one suction cuplocated on the back surface of at least one of the chambers.
 17. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising folding the liner into a compactform after use.
 18. A kit comprising directions for installing a bathtubwall liner, the directions including the method of claim
 15. 19. Abathtub wall liner for cushioning the vertical interior walls of abathtub, comprising: a first chamber; a plurality of interveningchambers; and a last chamber, the chambers adapted to circumferentiallyline the vertical interior walls of the bathtub, each chamber includingan interior portion and an exterior portion, each exterior portionincluding a front surface and a back surface, each interior portionincluding a left end and a right end, the left end of each chamberhaving a connection with the right end of another chamber, with theexception that the left end of the last chamber and the right end of thefirst chamber form an exterior end to the liner and have no connection,the liner adapted to be removably installed by detachably adhering tothe vertical interior walls of the tub.
 20. The liner of claim 19,further including a fill port for adding a fluid to and removing thefluid from the interior portion of at least one chamber, wherein theinterior portion of each chamber is inflatable and deflatable with thefluid, each of the connections between the chambers including at leastone passage port for allowing communication of the fluid from oneinterior portion to another interior portion during inflation anddeflation, thereby allowing inflation of the entire liner with the fluidvia the fill port.